Roller latch



D. M. ROBINSON Feb. 13, 1951 ROLLER LATCH Filed May 14, 1948 l I E0 /950a 25 /O a woe/whom DAV/0 M ROB/N5 o/v Patented Feb. 13, 1951 ROLLERLATCH David M. Robinson, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The StanleyWorks, New Britain, Coma, a corporation of Connecticut Application May14, 1948, Serial No. 27,026

Claims.

The present invention relates generally to latches and, moreparticularly, to roller latches of the type comprising a spring loadedroller supported in the edge ofa door for engaging a strike or keepermortised into theiamb.

Roller latches of the type referred to are commonly utilized on interiordoors which do not require a positive latch. Such latches are effectiveto retain the door in closed position by reason of the resistance tocompression ofthe roller supporting spring but at the same time the doormay be readily opened merely by applying sufficient opening force whichcauses the roller to ride up on the strike and thus release the latch.

When a roller latch is installed in a door, it will be appreciated, thefunctioningof the roller latch will depend on the amount of compressionto which the supporting spring is subjected when the door is opened andclosed. The desired amount of resistance to be obtained by the springwill vary in accordance with the intended use of the door and the wishesof the user. The amount of compression obtained will vary unlessadjusted as a result of varying distances'between the door and jamb,this being different, not only as between different installations butwill also vary in the same door with the seasons as the door expands orcontracts due to moisture conditions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a roller latchwhich has an adjustable spring action such that the amount ofcompression of the spring when the door is opened and closed may beadjusted as desired.

A principal object of the invention is to provide such an adjustablefeature whereby the spring compression may be adjusted without removingthe latch from the door thus facilitating the adjustment of the springto the desired degree for the particular installation and without needfor disassembly of the latch.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide such anadjustable arrangement which not only is operable while the latch ismounted in the door and without disassembly of the latch but which hasthe added feature of being adjustable without the use of any toolswhatsoever, the construction being such that the latch members may bemanually unlocked, manipulated and relocked in adjusted position with aminimum expenditure of time and effort and without the use of anyinstrumentality other than the fingers of the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an adjustable latchwhich is foolproof in operation, which is made of a minimum of parts,which is easy and economical to fabricate and assemble, and which is ofsimple and rugged construction such that it will provide long andsatisfactory service without the need for frequent replacements andrepairs.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter,

The invention accordingly consists in the features ofconstructiomcombination of elements and arrangement of parts which willbe exemplL fied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawingsj- Figure 1 is a plan view of the latch mounted in a doorwith the door, ijamb and strike being shown in cross section; 1

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that in Fig. 1 except that it is taken attherefrom and with the latch housing in cross section to show theinternal parts of the latch;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the latch;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the latch positioned as viewed in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the latch A, embodying the present invention,is shown mounted in the edge of a door B where it will engage a keeper Cwhich i mortised into a jamb D in the usual manner. The latch of thepresent invention is intended to be used like any other roller latchwhere it is not required to have a positive latch, such as on closetdoors or any other interior residential door, for example. The latchwill provide a sufficient holding force to handle a full sizeresidential door. The latch may be of any desired size but in thepreferred embodiment is sufficiently small so as to fit into a hole inthe edge of the door of the order of in diameter.

The latch includes a cylindrical or tubular housing In which is adaptedto fit into the hole H in the edge of the door B as above described. Thehousing I0 is provided at its outer end with a plate [2 which may besecured to the edge of the door B by any suitable means such as'thescrews I3. line to the plate 12 may be provided to improve theappearance of the asembled latch.

The housing 10 has a reduced portion l5 which is internally threaded asat !6 so as to threadinches ably receive a bushing I! which is similarlythreaded. By turning the bushing ll, it will be A face plate l4conforming in out- 3 apparent that the bushing may be adjusted towardand away from the edge of the door,

The bushing ll has a central opening 18 which, in the specificembodiment shown, is of square cross section so as to correspond to thecross section of a plunger i9. The plunger [3 is provided at its outerend with a yoke 28 which is considered part of the plunger and isadapted to fit within the housing '19, this yoke being provided with atransverse shaft 2! on which is rotatably mounted a conventional hardrubber roller 22.

A spiral spring is loosely mounted on the plunger 19 between the yokeZiiand -the bushing IT. This spring 25 resiliently opposes any 'inwardthrust of the plunger 19 and hence retraction of the roller 22. Theinner'end of'theplunger l9 has a small washer 26 fixed thereto toprovide a flange and between this washer 2'5 and the bushing I! there isprovided a second spiral sprihg fl'l which i's a-lso loosely carried "ohthe pmnger IS. The s'pri'n'g' '2 l is considerably light- 'r than thespring- 25 and ih'erely s'er'ves to y i'eldihgly retain'the plunger [9in the retracted pos'i-tion with the yoke 2 aabuttin'g against thespring The housing fll is provided with a series oflongitudinalindentations or grooves 36 of'which t'wo grooves 30a aresomewhat wider and deeper than the remaining grooves. "The yoke 20 ispro- "Vldd at opposite sides "with a 'pair of notches 3 la which are of'suificie'nt-depth to re'ceivethe grooves -30 a'hd thus 'permit the yoketo enterthe housing It] and, when the 'yok e is so received iri-tol thehousing, prevent the yoke from ti'irhihg. The --'-1at'ch g'r ooves 30aare at opposite sides of the hoarse thatfi-when'the yoke is receivedintothe housing iii, the roller will always' -beat right angles 'to the-pathof movement of the door and therefore will be properly positioned forproper functioning. 'I'he remaining grooves 30 are received incorresponding notches I ih 'the yoke 20 which further assistsinpositioning the yoke.

During closing movement of the door -B, the roller 22 is first cammedinwardly by *the'strike portion-32 and then, when the door isfullyclosed, the roller is moved outwardly by'th'e expansion of spring-25 tothe fullest extent permitted by the recessed "por'tion'of the keeper C,thereby retaining the'door in closed position. lhe adjustment 'of thelatch is preferably such that thespring 25 is not fully extended whenthe door is closed and'the degree to which it remains compressed, of'course, dependsupon the'adjusted position of bush-ing l7. applied tothe door, the roller 22 will be again cammed inwardly by the strikeportion 32 permitting the roller to clear the jamb. However, because ofthe shape of the strike portion 32, the resistance to opening movementofthe door is about four times that which is exerted during closingmovement of the door. It will be apparent, therefore, that the amount offorce exerted by the spring 25, both when the door is fully closed andduring opening and closing movements, will depend upon the design of thekeeper C, which would be the same in most ins'tallations, and the extentto which spring 25 is compressed which, in turn, depends upon theadjusted position of the bushing ll as aforesaid. It is an importantadvantage of the present "invention that the latch formed as -descr1bedherein may be readily adjusted without disassembly of the latch andwithout the use'of any tools whatsoever. In order to adjust the posi-When sufiicient opening force is 4 tion of the bushing H, it is onlynecessary for the operator merely to grasp the roller 22 between thethumb and forefinger and pull out the plunger 19 to a sufiicient amountsuch that the yoke 26 will clear the housing I0. It is then a simplematter to turn the yoke 20 and hence the plunger i9 which, in turn,rotates the bushing I! to 'Ihove it in or out in the reducedportion I5of the housing Il]. Turning of "the bushing I! when the plunger 19 isturned is caused by the square cross section of the plunger l9 and theopening I8 in the bushing H which permits sliding movement between theplunger 19 and the bushing I! but does'not permit relative turning "ofone with respect to the other. Washer 26 "prevents the plunger I9 frombeing entirely withdrawn.

When the plunger I9 has been turned sufficiently'to adjust the bushingll, the roller 22 is properly aligned, that is, turned parallel to the-'fioor and then rlea'se'd whereupon th'e spring 2 I will retract' theplunger is and yoke 2e into the housing. 'With the roller 22 S0'ailigne'd, the notches 3la will receive the grooves 3011. and thuspermit the yoke toenter into the housing 'and'thereafter prevent theyoke and plunger from turning.

When the foregoing adjustment hasb'een accomplished, the door 'rnay betested by opening and closing same'to 'seeifthe latchis properlyadjusted. It further adjustment is'requi'red, the operation abovedescribed may be'rea'dilyiepeated until the proper adjustment "is"accomplished. Inasmuch=as it is unnecessary to 'disassemble the latchorto utilize any tools,itwill be apparent that an exact adjustment willbeaccomplished in'a minimum of time and with a minimum of efiort. I

As many changes could be made in "the above construction 1 and manyapparently *Widely-difie'rent embodiments ofthis invention could'be madewithout*departin'g fromthe scope thereof, 'it is intended thatall mattercontained in the above description or shown in'the accomp'ah'yingdrawmgsshall be interpreted as illustr'ative and not in a limiting sense. I I lv -It"is"also tofbe understood that the language use'din thefollowing-claims is intended to cover all of the generic andspecificieatures of'the inwe'ri'tioifhereihjdescrihed-ahd e11statements'ofthe s'cope 6f the invention which, as "a "'matter of ranuage, might be said to "fa'll' therebetween.

T oIaiin aslny invention:

1. A roller latch{comprisingahou'sing adapted to be 'r n'ountedintheedge dfado'or, a supporting member threadably received 'in {thehousing and -adapted by turningto be adjusted toward 'and fawa-y frointh'e edgeofthe door, aplurige'r in "said housing slidabl but.non-rotatably "received *through said iiiemben a "roller supported "on"the outer end of the plunger, and spring -means supported by saidmember 'forfurgin'g the 'jplunger 'outwardly.

2 A j'roller "latch "comprising a 'housirig adapt- "edtobe mounted inthe edgeof' a door, Ia'supporting member threadably received in" thehousing and a'c'laptedb'yturnihg to beadjusted toward and away from theedge or the door, "a plunger 'in said housing longitudinallyslidably'but non- "ro'tatably received through said "member, rs'p'ri'rigmeans extending beiwveen the member .and the plunger f or "'yieldingly"supporting the plunger in predetermined longitudinal position, 'a'ridfroller supporting mean an the outer-end of the plunger adaptedby"engagement withthe "housing "when the plunger is in said predeterminedlongitudinal position to prevent the plunger from turning.

3. A roller latch comprising a housing adapted to be mounted in the edgeof a door, a supporting member threadably received in the housing andadapted by turning to be adjusted toward and away from the edge of thedoor, a plunger of non-circular cross section extending through saidmember, said member having an opening corresponding to said crosssection for slidably and non-rotatabl receiving the plunger and saidplunger including a. roller support fixed to the outer end thereof, aroller carried by said support, means for yieldingly maintaining theplunger in predetermined longitudinal position with respect to thesupporting member such that the roller extends outwardly from thehousing including a first spring extending between the roller supportand. the adjacent side of the supporting member, a second spring at theopposite side of the supporting member, and means on the inner end ofthe plunger for engaging the second spring, and interengaging means onthe housing and roller support for preventing turning of the supportwhile the plunger is in said predetermined position, said roller beingadapted to be manually drawn outwardly to free the roller support fromthe housing to permit the plunger to be turned to adjust the saidsupporting member.

4. A roller latch comprising a housing adapted 1 circular cross sectionextending through said 1 member, said member having an openingcorresponding to said cross section for slidably and non-rotatablyreceiving the plunger, a roller support fixed to the outer end of theplunger, a roller carried thereby, a flange on the inner end of theplunger, a first spring extending between the roller support and saidmember for resiliently resisting inward movement of the plunger, asecond spring extending between the flange and aid member forresiliently resisting outward movement of said plunger, andinterengaging means on the housing and roller support to preventrotation of the support within the housing and to prevent entry of thesupport into the housing except when the roller is in predeterminedangular relationship with respect to the housing.

5. A roller latch comprising a generally cylindrical housing adapted tobe mounted in the edge of a door, a supporting member threadablyreceived in the housing and adapted by turning to be adjusted toward andaway from the edge of the door, a plunger of polygonal cross sectionextending through said member, said member having an openingcorresponding to th cross section of said plunger for slidably butnon-rotatably receiving the plunger, a roller support on the outer endof the plunger, a roller carried thereby, said support and the housingbeing provided with indentations and ribs, respectively, such that themember may be slidably and non-rotatably received into the housing onlywhen the roller is in a predetermined angular position with respect tothe housing, a helical spring on the plunger extending between theroller support and said member for yieldingly resisting inward movementof the plunger, a flange on the inner end of the plunger, and a secondhelical spring on th plunger extending between said flange and saidmember for yieldingly resisting outward movement of the plunger wherebythe roller support may be manually pulled outwardly to clear the housingand to turn the plunger to adjust the supporting member following whichthe roller support may be released for reentry into the housing when theroller is in said predetermined angular position.

DAVID M. ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,330,945 Kuhn Feb. 17, 1920FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 380,028 Great Britain Sept. 8, 1932468,220 Great Britain June 30, 1937 477,855 Great Britain Jan. '7, 1938

